Exeter football grinds down WHS in 28-0 win

Tuesday

Sep 27, 2011 at 2:00 AM

EXETER — Eventually, the pounding takes its toll.

STEVE CRAIG

EXETER — Eventually, the pounding takes its toll.

That's the intent of Exeter High School's punishing running attack, most of which comes between the tackles. On an unseasonably steamy Saturday in the game billed as the Seacoast's Best Rivalry, the Blue Hawks ground down Division II Winnacunnet in the annual grudge match, winning 28-0.

Leading 7-0 through three quarters, Division I Exeter scored three times on long touchdown runs against an injury-riddled Winnacunnet defense.

"We were pounding it and trying it. We knew the humidity could be a factor," Exeter head coach Bill Ball said. "You know what? It's Exeter-Winnacunnet, and as frustrated as I was at halftime, we got this one and those guys from Winnacunnet played hard."

Exeter is now 4-0 (2-0 in Division I) and snapped a two-game losing streak against its rivals. The Blue Hawks now have a 54-24-2 lead in the all-time series. Winnacunnet, shut out for a second straight game and is 1-3 overall (1-1 in Division II).

"I thought for three quarters we competed well. Maybe we did wear down and the offense did not (help) matters at all with turnovers and penalties," Winnacunnet head coach Ron Auffant said.

Exeter has allowed 13 points all season. The Blue Hawks forced five turnovers, including three in the fourth quarter, and allowed only 59 rushing yards. Fifty-five of those came on two big plays.

"The bottom line was they did a great job against (our) run. We've got to run the ball better," Auffant said. "Today we were pretty much anemic except for a couple runs."

Both coaches pointed to the same play as the possible tipping point of when Exeter began to break things open. It was Joe Moser's interception of Warriors quarterback Will Doyle on a third-and-12 from the Exeter 46 with a minute left in the third quarter.

"That curl route — we score on that drive it's a whole different game. That was a key play for them, a great play by their kid," Auffant said. "Then when they got that second touchdown you could feel the air come out a bit."

Three plays later, on the first play of the fourth quarter, Conor Carrier (18 carries, 114 yards) cut back to the right, shook off a tackle attempt by Ing Hao Veasna, and outran Liam Coleman to the end zone for a 34-yard score.

"I just hit the hole as hard as I could and when I saw an opening, I took it," Carrier said. "A couple moves and I was right there. The blocking was phenomenal on the play and everything went right."

For the Warriors to respond it was apparent they would have to do it with the pass game so it was not a surprise — though still informative — that Doyle (10-of-22, 131 yards, 3 INTs) tried to pass for a desperately needed first down on third-and-2. He overthrew favorite target Ben Gareau, who was well covered on the sideline. Auffant said Doyle should have thrown to the other side but allowed that if he had confidence in his run game he would have treated it as a four-down territory and pounded away. Instead, the Warriors were left to punt.

Galen Antolino returned the punt 20 yards and on the first play from scrimmage Tyler Grant (17 carries, 119 yards) cut back to the right, ran past Veasna and Coleman and scored from 45 yards out. That the play was so similar to Carrier's score had to do with the mounting injuries. In addition to being down one second-string and one third-string inside linebacker, hard-hitting senior cornerback Nick Desmond was also on the sideline. That meant Veasna had to switch sides. Does that make a difference?

"It does. Yes, it does," Ball said.

"We really got down on the depth chart today and I think that might have hurt us later in the game," Auffant said.

Winnacunnet appeared to have at least one last gasp in them when Doyle threw a beautiful strike up the right sideline to Ben Franzoso good for 54 yards to the Exeter 26. A 7-yard toss to Coleman on second down brought up third-and-three. Doyle underthrew Franzoso in the left flat and was intercepted by Justin Marston at the Exeter 10.

Three running plays brought the ball to the 27 and Jake Pleadwell came in for Carrier. Pleadwell promptly tore through the line and accelerated away from the gasping defense for a 73-yard score. Logan Laurent added his fourth point-after to complete the scoring with 6:29 to play.

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